What is stellionat in Ivory Coast?
Fraudulent scheme consisting of selling or mortgaging a property of which one is not or is no longer the owner. Punishable by 1 to 5 years' imprisonment and a fine of 300,000 to 3,000,000 FCFA.
Definition complete
Legal Definition
Stellionat is a serious criminal offense defined by the Urban Land Code and Urban Land Domain Law (Law No. 2020-624 of August 14, 2020). It designates any fraudulent scheme consisting of selling a property of which one is no longer the owner, mortgaging it a second time without the knowledge of the previous creditor, or presenting it as free of mortgage when it is in fact encumbered.
Penalties (Articles 278-279)
- Imprisonment: 1 to 5 years
- Fine: 300,000 to 3,000,000 FCFA
- Attempted offense is punishable
- Provisions relating to suspended sentences and mitigating circumstances are not applicable
Who is Deemed a Stellionataire?
A person is deemed a stellionataire:
- Whoever causes a property to be registered in their name knowing they are not the owner
- Whoever causes a real right to be registered on a title knowing it does not belong to them
- Whoever causes a property to be registered while knowingly omitting mortgages or charges
- Whoever knowingly transfers a title of ownership not belonging to them
- Whoever contracts with a third party using a false declaration in the context of property registration
Judicial officers and administrative agents who participated in drafting acts tainted by stellionat are subject to criminal prosecution as co-authors or accomplices.
At Capital Foncier, our five-step due diligence process is specifically designed to protect our clients against stellionat.
Exemple concret
Koffi discovered that the land he was about to purchase had already been sold to another person by the same seller. Thanks to Capital Foncier's verification at the Land Registry, the fraud was detected before the transaction — the seller faces a sentence of 1 to 5 years in prison for double sale fraud.
Sources juridiques
Loi n° 2020-624 du 14 août 2020 (Code de l'Urbanisme et du Domaine Foncier Urbain), article 3 — définition officielle du stellionat : « la manœuvre frauduleuse qui consiste à vendre un immeuble dont on n'est plus propriétaire ou à l'hypothéquer une seconde fois à l'insu du créancier précédent ou encore à le présenter comme libre d'hypothèque alors qu'il en est grevé ». Article 3 également pour le « stellionataire » (auteur). Sanctions : nullité de l'acte, poursuites pénales (Code pénal ivoirien), dommages-intérêts.
Questions frequentes
How to protect yourself from land fraud?
Is stellionat (land fraud) common in Ivory Coast?
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Autres termes du glossaire
The ADU (Attestation de Droit d'Usage Coutumier / Customary Right of Use Certificate) is the single, secure document that replaces the former Village Certificate as of January 1, 2025. Established by Decree No. 2021-784 and secured by the SIGFU (Decree No. 2021-862), it requires a triple signature (village chief, CVGFR president, developer) and a unique IDUFCI. The ADU is not a property title: it constitutes a provisional recognition opening the path to the ACD (Arrêté de Concession Définitive / Definitive Concession Decree) — the ACD published in the Land Register IS the Land Title. In practice, the time between ACD signature and its publication in the Land Register is often longer than the official 180 calendar days (BÂTIR N°004, 2022). Published ACD = published Land Title — same legal deed, two stages.
The Rural Land Agency (AFOR — Agence Foncière Rurale) is the public institution responsible for implementing rural land policy in Ivory Coast. It oversees land certification, registration of rural properties, and coordination of boundary demarcation and surveying operations.
Legal document drafted by a notary that formalizes the transfer of land ownership between a seller and a buyer. The notarized deed of sale is mandatory and confers authenticity on the transaction.
Legal entity that must be established with a minimum share capital of 2 million FCFA held by Ivorian nationals, holding an approval from the Minister responsible for Housing and a financial guarantee from a bank or insurance company.
The alienation price is the sum that the buyer must pay to the State to obtain the Definitive Concession (ACD — Arrêté de Concession Définitive) of urban land. Calculated by an ad hoc commission, it corresponds to the market value of the parcel according to the official schedule.